Drew Hurley
.
The secret to a successful marriage is remarkably easy, yet unreasonably and
unremittingly difficult. The key to this success is to treat every day with your partner as a
precious -- and very limited -- gift from God. If you understand that your partner could
be instantly taken from you by an unforeseen accident or disaster, you can, and should,
begin to appreciate the love and affection you now share. You must therefore live each
day as if it were the last day God was giving you to share your love for each other.
Tragically, I learned this lesson all too painfully. My wife was severely injured in
an accident on October 17, 1979. When I arrived at the Emergency Room at Shands
Hospital that evening, one of the first things I did was ask the attending physician what
her prognosis was. I'll never forget his response. Even today, I still hear his words
burning in my ears, "if she lives through the night..." He went on to describe a series of
test they were going to schedule for her the next day, but I mentally locked onto that
phrase, "if she lives through the night...."
For the first time in my life I began to really understand how much she meant to
me, and I resolved, with God's help, to never let another day go by without sharing my
care for her. It is not easy. Her health problems are considerable, but I have always been
there with her, and for her. It means doing a lot of things I really do not enjoy, like
waiting in the Hospital for her, picking up her prescriptions at the pharmacy, or doing the
shopping and making the endless trips to consult with her Doctors. And yet I do these
things with as much good cheer as I can muster, because, what choice have I got?
However, unpleasant and expensive these experiences may be for me, I immensely
thankful that we have them and, at least, one more day to share our care of each other.
Life is not easy, nor is it fair. But every challenge and difficulty presents its own
unique opportunity for success and personal fulfillment. It is possible for love and
affection to bloom and prosper, even in the face of disaster. Regardless of how
challenging your circumstances may be, if you can arise each morning and thank God for
giving you another day to share your love together, you'll soon learn how precious and
valuable your partner really is. What's more, you'll be a better person for having gone
through all of your experiences. Because, the gift of love is truly the most amazing gift
of all. Whenever it is given away, it always benefits the giver as much as it does the
person who receives it.
Thank you God, for giving us another day of love.
.
Sept. 20, 1995